2018 SDG INDEX AND

DASHBOARDS

Guillaume Lafortune

Manager

SDSN

JRC, 08/11/2018

The Sustainable Development Goals

WHAT IS THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

SOLUTIONS NETWORK (SDSN)?

•Global network of researchers and experts launched in 2012 to mobilize knowledge on the SDGs

• Operates under the auspices of the UN Secretary General

• Directed by Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs

• Network of 500+ partner institutions

• Purpose:

• Network

• Training Center

• Think Tank

THE SDG INDEX AND DASHBOARDS:

OBJECTIVES

• Establish SDGs as a useful, operational tool for policy action.

• Support national debates on prioritization and formulation of SDG

implementation strategies.

• Complement efforts to develop a robust SDG monitoring

framework by the UN Statistical Commission.

• Identify SDG data gaps, need for investments in statistical capacity

& research, new forms of data.

FUNDAMENTAL ASSUMPTIONS

• Monitoring the SDGs requires estimating absolute country

performance based on distance to invariant sustainable

development targets

• Non-official data help bridge current data gaps (trawling fisheries,

adjusted GINI, spillover effects embodied into trade)

• Number of indicators evolves when new evidence become

available

• The 17 SDGs are the final overarching framework (no re-clustering

of the goals)

• Results need to be accessible for a wide audience

2030 QUANTITATIVE THRESHOLDS –

DECISION TREE

• a) Use the absolute quantitative thresholds outlined in the SDGs and targets (e.g. gender equality, zero poverty, universal access to water and sanitation etc.)

• b) Where no explicit target is available, set upper bound to universal access or zero deprivation for the following types of indicators:

i) Measures of extreme poverty (e.g. wasting)

ii) Public service coverage (e.g. contraception)

iii) Access to basic infrastructure (e.g. mobile phone coverage)

• c) Where science-based targets exist that must be achieved by 2030 or later use these to set the 100% upper bound (e.g. full decarbonization)

• d) Where many countries already exceed an SDG target, use the average of top 5 performers (e.g. child mortality)

• e) For all other indicators use the average of the top 5 performers.

METHODOLOGY

• All 193 UN Member States

• 88 Global Indicators (111 for OECD countries)

• Data for each indicator is scaled from 0 to 100, where: • The “worst” score (0) = 2.5th percentile.

• The “best” score (100) = “technical optimum” or average of top 5 performers.

• Min-Max formula:

• Each goal is given equal weight.

• Arithmetic average at the goal and overall SDG Index level– a score of 50 signifies that a country is half way to achieving the SDGs.

• Methodology: http://sdgindex.org/assets/files/2018/Methodological%20Paper_v1_gst_jmm_Aug2018__FINAL_rev10_09.pdf

NO COUNTRY IS ON TRACK TO ACHIEVING THE

SDGS BY 2030

Source: Sachs and al, 2018

HIGH-INCOME

COUNTRIES

GENERATE NEGATIVE

SPILLOVER EFFECTS

Environment

(e.g. Co2 emissions

embodied into trade)

Security

(e.g. weapons

export)

Economic

(e.g. tax heavens)

GDP per capita, USD PPP, 2016

COUNTRY PROFILE:

GERMANY

Detailed performance

by indicator

Global launch at the HLPF

Media interventions

Country events

• Physical/online launches

• Data visualisation

• Social medias

National institutions/reforms

Private/financial sector

Global media outreach

OTHER EDITIONS

Global editions Regional editions City editions

GUIDELINES TO NETWORKS FOR REGIONAL AND

LOCAL SDG INDICES – CORE ELEMENTS

1. Define indicator targets

2. Have a clear strategy for dealing with outliers at

the bottom of the distribution

3. Produce goal level results

4. Set clear data coverage thresholds for

including indicators and entities

SDG INDEX FOR US STATES

SDG INDEX FOR US CITIES

SPANISH CITY INDEX

Number of cities and performance on each goals

SDG dashboard for large metropolitan areas

CHALLENGES RESPONSE (OR ATTEMPT TO RESPOND)

“The SDGs are supposed to provide a transformative Agenda

yet the top 10 countries are all OECD countries!!!”

Who else?

Every country has work to do! (red on at least one goal)

“Our government is doing so MUCH since 2015 on the SDGs

but most of your data are pre-SDG period”

Complemented the report with assessment of government efforts

since 2015 (strategies, coordination units, official speeches etc.)

Other SDSN programmes on strengthening real time data

(satellite, censor, telecom)

Communicate granular details including on “Leave-no-one

behind” (even in top performing countries)

“Canada performs “green” on overall access to improved water

yet a portion of the population (aboriginal community) has level of

access to water equivalent to what is observed in sub-Saharan

countries”

Included more data on “gaps” across population groups for OECD

countries (unmet care need by income, LE across regions)

Subnational work

Acknowledge that an Index does not replace a detailed review!

“By the way, we just produced a new national estimate – can

you integrate it into your report that will come out next

week?...(so that we look much better)”

Invite them to submit their data to international organisations for

validation

Spillover effects at subnational levels Exploring how IO tables can help

References

• Prakash, M., K. Teksoz, J. Espey, J.D. Sachs, M. Shank, and G. Schmidt-Traub (2017), “Achieving a Sustainable Urban America. The U.S. Cities Sustainable Development Goals Index 2017,” Sustainable Development Solutions Network, New York.

• Sachs, J., G. Schmidt-Traub, and D. Durand-Delacre (2016), “Preliminary Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Index and Dashboards,” Sustainable Development Solutions Network, New York.

• Sachs, J., G. Schmidt-Traub, C. Kroll, D. Durand-Delacre, and K. Teksoz (2017), “SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2017. Global Responsibilities - International Spillovers in Achieving the Goals,” Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Gütersloh and New York.

• Sachs, J., G. Schmidt-Traub, C. Kroll, G. Lafortune, and G. Fuller (2018), SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2018. New York: Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)., Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)., New-York.

• SDSN(2015b), “Getting Started with the Sustainable Development Goals. A Guide to Stakeholders,” Sustainable Development Solutions Network, New York and Paris.

• SDSN, and IDDRI (2015), “Pathways to deep decarbonization 2015 report,” Deep Decarbonization Pathways (DDPP) Project.

Trends

Methodology

Most G20 countries have started SDGs implementation,

but important gaps remain.

Leave no one behind (OECD countries)

Difference in dashboards’ color of the 35 OECD countries for SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and

SDG 4 (quality education) when excluding and including new equity measures

http://www.sdgindex.org

OTHER PROJECTS

•Regional SDG indices (Africa, Southeast

Asia, Europe)

•City level indices (United-States, Italy, Spain,

Europe, China)

•Sustainable Consumption and Production

(SCP) Index (in collaboration with Yale

University)